While desktop computers generally remain a part of the same network for a substantial period of time, laptops, handhelds, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellphones or other portable computers (collectively “portable computers”) are specifically designed to be transportable. As such, portable computers are connected to different networks at different times depending upon the location of the computer. In a common example in which the portable computer serves as an employee's desktop computer, the portable computer is configured to communicate with their employer's network, i.e., the enterprise network. When the employee travels, however, the portable computer may be connected to different networks that communicate in different manners. In this regard, the employee may connect the portable computer to the network maintained by an airport, a hotel, a cellular telephone network operator or any other locale in order to access the enterprise network, the Internet or some other on-line service. The portable computer is also commonly brought to the employee's residence where it is used to access various networks, such as, the enterprise network, a home network, the Internet and the like. Since these other networks are configured somewhat differently, however, the portable computer must also be reconfigured in order to properly communicate with these other networks. Typically, this configuration is performed by the user each time that the portable computer is connected to a different network. As will be apparent, this repeated reconfiguration of the portable computer is not only quite time consuming, but is also prone to errors. The reconfiguration procedure may even be beyond the capabilities of many users or in violation of their employer's IT policy.
A universal subscriber gateway device has been developed by Nomadix, L.L.C. of Westlake Village, Calif. and is described in detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/816,174, entitled “Nomadic Router”, filed on Mar. 12, 1997, in the name of inventors Short et. al.; Ser. No. 09/458,602, entitled “Systems and Methods for Authorizing, Authenticating and Accounting Users Having Transparent Computer Access to a Network Using a Gateway Device”, filed on Dec. 8, 1999, in the name of inventors Pagan et. al.; and Ser. No. 09/458,569, entitled “Systems and Methods for Redirecting Users Having Transparent Computer Access to a Network Using a Gateway Device Having Redirection Capability” filed on Dec. 8, 1999, in the name of inventors Short et. al. These applications have been assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and the contents of these applications are expressly incorporated herein by reference as if setforth fully herein.
The gateway device serves as an interface connecting the user/subscriber to a number of networks or other online services. For example, the gateway device can serve as a gateway to the Internet, the enterprise network, or other networks and/or on-line services. In addition to serving as a gateway, the gateway device automatically adapts to the protocols and other parameters of the host, in order that it may communicate with the new network in a manner that is transparent both to the user/subscriber and the new network. Once the gateway device has appropriately adapted to the user's host, the host can appropriately communicate via the new network, such as the network at a hotel, at home, at an airport, or any other location, in order to access other networks, such as the enterprise network, or other online services, such as the internet.
The portable computer user/subscriber, and more specifically the remote or laptop user, benefits from being able to access a myriad of communication networks without having to undergo the time-consuming and all-too-often daunting task of reconfiguring their host in accordance with network specific configurations. From another perspective, the network service provider benefits from avoiding “on-site” visits and/or technical support calls from the user who is unable to properly re-configure the portable computer. In this fashion, the gateway device is capable of providing more efficient network access and network maintenance to the user/subscriber and the network operator.
Gateway devices are typically used to provide network access to the remote portable computer user, such as users in hotels, airports and other locations where the remote portable computer user may reside. Additionally, gateway devices have found wide-spread use in multi-resident dwellings as a means of providing the residents an intranet that networks the residents, broadband Internet access capabilities and the capacity to adapt to the variances of the resident's individual enterprise network needs. With the advent of even smaller portable computing devices, such as handhelds, PDAs, and the like, the locations where these users may reside becomes almost limitless. Someday we can envision wireless communications technology providing the capability to offer networking to all forms of land and air passengers. Gateway devices will likely provide the impetus for granting remote network access to all remote users communicating through wireless links and other foreseeable communication mediums.
In most of the remote user applications and the multi-resident dwelling applications, the gateway administrator (i.e. the network service provider) is not so much concerned with “who” the user/subscriber is, but rather, “where” the user resides or is located. Location based information is imperative to the network service provider who desires to manage and bill subscribers based on where they are physically located rather than who they are or what host they may choose to use. For example, in the hotel scenario, the network service provider is more concerned with knowing that Room 301 has a seven day network subscription than knowing who the individual users are that are residing in Room 301. In this manner, the gateway administrator is able to provide Room 301, as opposed to individual residents in Room 301, with a location identifier. The gateway administrator or network provider relies on this information for ensuring accurate subscriber billing.
Additionally, the gateway administrator may benefit from location-based identification in the area of network management. For instance, by classifying within the network databases according to location the gateway device is able to provide network options to subscribers based upon where they are located. By way of example, if the gateway device has “learned” through location identification that Room 301 is a suite, thereby affording its customers additional service privileges, the gateway device can provide these additional service privileges without the need to query the user/subscriber regarding suite status. The same type of location classification can be beneficial in the multiple-resident dwelling example (i.e. a specially classified building or wing), in the airport example (i.e. a specially designated network port area for first class travelers) or in any other network application that uses a gateway device to provide network access and network adaptation.